India Power to Develop 70 MW Solar Project in Bhutan

Kolkata, Jan 30 (PTI) India Power Corporation Limited (IPCL) on Friday said it has entered into a strategic partnership with Bhutan's Green Energy Power Private Limited to develop a 70 MW solar power project in the neighbouring country's Paro district.

The project is part of the West Bengal-headquartered power utility's plan to add 1.5 GW of solar capacity in Bhutan over the next five years, the company said in a release.

Bhutan's power demand is expected to more than double over the next two years, driven by projects such as the Gelephu Mindful City, expansion of energy-intensive industries, including ferrosilicon, and rising demand from digital infrastructure and crypto-mining activities, it said.

While hydropower continues to dominate Bhutan's energy mix, the country has set a target of achieving 25,000 MW of installed power capacity by 2034, including 5,000 MW from solar energy.

According to IPCL, Tenchuka site in Paro was selected following a preliminary assessment of technical parameters.

The project site spans around 200 acres of south-facing land with high solar irradiation and is located about 3.5 km from the Jamjee 220/33 kV substation, enabling smooth power evacuation.


Commenting on the development, Somesh Dasgupta, whole-time director of India Power Corporation Limited, said, "The Tenchuka project is not just a capacity addition; it reflects our commitment to cross-border energy cooperation and our goal of becoming a 1.5 GW solar player by 2030."

Tandi Dorji, founder of Green Energy Power Private Limited, said the project would be the first independent power producer (IPP) project in Bhutan.

Bhutan has been drawing increasing interest from Indian power majors.

Tata Power and Druk Green Power Corporation (DGPC) are jointly developing around 5,000 MW of clean energy projects, while Adani Power has signed an MoU with DGPC to explore hydropower capacity of up to 5,000 MW.

Reliance Power, in partnership with Druk Holding and Investments, is developing a 500 MW solar project and planning additional hydropower capacity.

Established in 1919, IPCL is an integrated power utility with interests spanning power distribution, smart metering, renewables and thermal generation.

Over 70 per cent of its portfolio is now in green energy, the company said.